33 Different Types Of Witches — And The Meaning Of Each
What type of witch are you?
Ironika / Shutterstock Witchcraft has come a long way since the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s. Now, there are different types of witches, and each practitioner discovers who they are by the type of witchcraft they practice.
Whether you are starting out on your path toward witchcraft or you’ve been practicing for years, you will come to find that there are many different subsects of witchcraft. The type of witch depends on you.
Witches come in many forms, experimenting with different tools and techniques that best fit their style. You might find that you’re none of the typical types of witches or you may find that you are many different ways to be a witch.
Regardless, discovering your craft style is in no way trying to label yourself, but a resource to help focus your energy in your practice or to experiment with what kind of magick best represents yourself.
What does it mean to be a witch?
Witches and witchcraft have been around for centuries but have risen to popularity again in the mid-20th century. But to know what a witch is, you must first know what a witch is not.
A witch is most definitely not the caricature that mass media has made it out to be with the long pointy hats and a green face.
Rather, a witch is an unashamed even defiant woman who is grounded by her inner power and confidence. A witch works in harmony with nature and uses her magic to bring about change from the subtle realm into the physical realm.
At its core, a witch is a woman in total control of herself. She answers to no one and empowers her fellow sisters (other women).
33 Different Types of Witches & What Each Means
1. Solitary witch
A lot of new witches find that they are solitary practitioners, not typically by choice. However, some of us are refined to places with low witch populations and actual community support.
A wide majority of magical folk find themselves to be solitary witches, meaning they study and practice independently. This can be a very powerful source of magic and leaves your work to be done by yourself, without the support of others.
These witches take their magic into their own hands and leave their fate up to no one aside from themselves.
2. Coven witch
These are the witches who have been able to create a community with a network of witches.
Contrary to popular belief, coven witches don’t have to congregate in person. You can join an online coven, find one of the many Facebook groups out there for members to join, find a group of friends to Zoom with, or even make penpals on apps like Slowly to create your own coven.
Covens typically have great energy and do group spellwork and rituals. This is a great practice to get into if you are extroverted or work best in a team setting.
3. Religious witch
You don’t have to surrender your previous convictions to follow a path of magic. It’s not either-or; you can still hold faith in one true God. Just because typical practice includes polytheistic practice doesn’t mean you have to.
Prayers can be considered rituals. You can pray to Jesus or Abraham, and you can give offerings to saints and angels. Don’t let the fear of traditional practices steer you away from being a witch.
4. Secular witch
You also don’t have to have faith in a multitude of gods to be considered a witch. Many witches find that they are still atheists or agnostics despite practicing witchcraft; this is still a valid form of the craft.
These people can appoint their highest power to the earth around them and more tangible things, or even themselves.
5. Village witch
This is a traditional role of the witch, to perform acts of service for the members of the community. People flock to this witch to hear stories of the old, ancient energy in the lands and for favors in the guise of spellwork.
This is a trusted witch, typically the elder of their community, carrying a heavy matriarchal role for those around them. This witch will know remedies and curses and is willing to impart this information to the young people of their community in need.
6. Ancestral witch
This is seen in a multitude of cultures from Hoodoo to Heathens, where witches feel most inclined to pay tribute to their ancestors, asking them for offerings instead of just giving faith directly into other spirits or gods.
It is important that if you are drawn to your ancestors that you do not appropriate the practices of another; respect is very important in witchcraft no matter the path. Each culture has their own magic and can be accessed through research or even DNA testing.
7. Sea witch
These witches are often found gazing off into the ocean, longing to see a mermaid’s tail on the horizon.
Sea witches are drawn to oceanic bodies of water and use natural resources from these seascapes in their magic, such as driftwood, shells, ocean water, or sand.
Beach bums make the perfect sea witch, but you don’t have to have your sea legs to qualify, just a love for the ocean and all the creatures that may be dwelling in the deep below.
8. Green witch
Much to its name, the green witch is always found somewhere in the middle of nature, if not somewhere on a trail path, then inside of the local nursery.
Green witches are masters of herbology, able to create remedies by wandering their local parks. These witches are notoriously environmentally and socially conscious, making great peace leaders within the community.
It is not uncommon for people on this path to have their own garden, even in city apartments with no natural lighting; they can’t help their green thumb.
9. Nocturnal witch
This is a path specifically for night owls and those who burn midnight oil. If you’re more comfortable when the lights go out and are drawn to the darkness, you might be a nocturnal witch.
Most of the magic these witches perform is done after midnight, in the wee hours before sunrise.
These witches have an air of mystery always around them. Don’t be surprised to see them wandering the city streets or parks while everyone else is sleeping.
10. Kitchen witch
Kitchen witches use the ingredients in their kitchen to bake and cook their spellwork.
While they may not always consume their work, as it isn’t always advisable to, they always are sure to pour their love into what they’re cooking up.
These witches use the ingredients they have on hand but likely have a full spice rack.
11. Crystal witch
Often boosting a stone collection to compete with the Natural History Museum, these witches come with the power of the earth through pressurized rocks and stones.
Often working with other energy work, such as Reiki, people who are drawn to the lovely powers of rose quartz or the buzz they get from holding a chunk of amethyst drives them wild.
You can find these witches under the moonlight cleansing their crystal collection and trying to raise their stones' vibrations.
12. Divination witch
These witches are often in touch with their psychic abilities, which is what will draw them to divination.
Divination tools are used to contact spirits, interpret past events, and predict the future. These tools vary from witch to witch, but are often seen in tarot cards, scrying tools, runes, pendulums, tea leaves, and candle wax.
These witches may use tools such as pendulums and divination boards to contact those who have passed on as well. Divination witches often become professional psychics or at least bring a deck of cards to parties with them.
13. Mental witch
While someone like a divination or crystal witch will have a multitude of tools at their disposal, a mental witch works with one thing only: their mind.
They work solely on the mental plane, using limited resources to help in conjuring their magic. These witches are often manifesting powerhouses, might be more reserved than others, and meditate frequently.
14. Sex witch
Working mostly with the energy they produce during the act of intercourse or masturbation, these witches embody the energy of Mars. They radiate sexuality and are captivating to look at.
They can easily win over the hearts of many and are the desire of most. Sex witches, with their partners’ consent, will use the energy as close to orgasm as possible to do their spell work. These witches make magic happen.
15. Cosmic witch
These witches don’t just have their head in the clouds, they have skyrocketed into the stars. These witches can read your birth chart and check their horoscope daily.
Often, these witches don’t just work with different planets and stars around us, but will have a heavy focus on lunar magick and know what each moon phase brings.
16. Art witch
This is the craft for artists. Art witches can anoint their paints and other mediums with concoctions of herbs and intentions and create masterpieces that double as spellwork.
Fiber artists can create knot magic, crocheting, and knitting with intention in every knot they create. Cartoonists can illustrate ways they want a situation to play out as a way to manifest themselves into a better reality.
Art witches might also find themselves deep into color magic, using color theory to focus on particular areas of the craft to work with, invoking riches and emotions. These witches have the prettiest grimoires.
17. Music witch
People who seem to move with magic, can pick up any instrument after fiddling with it for a few minutes, or have the voices of a seductress can find their power in their song and dance.
Spellwork can be performed in tunes and lyrics, and manifesting can happen while tapping around to the beat of a song.
These witches always get passed the AUX cord on a long road trip, often having the volume turned down low so the rest of the car can hear their crooning. Stevie Nicks is the most popular example of a music witch.
18. Faerie witch
Those who are drawn to mythological creatures such as dragons and unicorns may also feel the pull to the fae. Mischievous folk, people resonate with these spirits of the forest and leave them offerings to do their bidding.
Fae witches will often have their noses buried in a book, studying the folklore of their lands, and daydreaming about voyages overseas to explore new wooded areas. They may even have their own faerie garden to try to attract their own spirit to them.
19. Eclectic witch
This is one of the most common types of witches, mostly because it serves as an umbrella term to categorize those who take a little of each practice to incorporate into their own path.
You might find that you’re actually an eclectic witch, making up a mosaic of all different paths to form your own unique experience.
20. Baby witch
This term was coined on TikTok to describe beginner witches. If you are just now coming into your inner power and delving into the art of witchcraft, you may be considered a baby witch.
Some signs you may be a baby witch are pocketing interesting rocks and collecting crystals.
21. Hedge witch
Hedge witches are similar to green witches but have a certain proclivity for healing. They are in tune with nature and know almost everything there is to know about the herbal arts.
They often practice their craft for medicinal and spiritual reasons. These are witches you would visit to get rid of a skin rash naturally. A hedge witch may own an apothecary and practice their craft without having any formal magical training.
22. Lunar witch
A lunar witch can easily be mixed up with being a cosmic witch but they are drastically different.
The lunar witch focuses all of her attention on the lunar energies in the sky in particular, and harnessing the feminine power of the moon. They care not about the stars or any other cosmic energy like the cosmic witch does.
The lunar witch religiously tracks the phases of the moon and holds rituals for each one. A specific one would be bathing in the light of the full moon. They may also be very passionate about tracking their menstrual cycle.
23. Gypsy witch
Gypsy witches come directly from the line of Romani Gypsies. In their language, they have a word they use to describe "wise woman" that they also use for "witch."
They practice the craft of herbs and divination. They have unique rites of passage and rituals for occasions such as weddings and the blessing of a baby.
24. Celtic witch
A Celtic witch is a witch who centers their practice around Celtic myths and rituals. It is most popular amongst pagans.
These witches tend to focus on nature, healing, rituals, and the elements involved within the Celtic culture.
25. Elemental witch
An elemental witch draws their magical powers from the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. However, there are some witches who believe in the fifth element: spirit.
This type of witch will either focus on one or all four elements depending on the ritual she is doing. But elemental witches have to first create a bond with the elements before they can use them.
26. Bruja witch
Bruja witches, or just bruja, are Hispanic witches and are very much about reclaiming their culture. "Bruja" literally means witch in Spanish.
Bruja witches utilize their surroundings with a particular interest in herbs, spices, lemons and limes to execute their craft. They participate in many rituals, cleansings, divination, prayer, and even energy work.
27. Shamana witch
Shamana witches are high priestesses, healers, herbalists, sorceresses, and mentors. They are rooted in Paganism and typically use drumming and dancing in their rituals and ceremonial magic.
They use their craft to serve their community through rituals, initiations, counseling, herbalism, and healing.
28. Cottage witch
The cottage witch, otherwise known as the hearth witches or house witch because they focus on the home and creating safe places, are purposely driven to turn a house into a home by creating the heart and soul of a home.
They are often found crocheting a blanket, creating a wreath out of foraged twigs and leaves, and making candles or bars of soap.
29. Dianic witch
Dianic witches are a group of women or a coven that worships the Roman goddess Diana.
They speak out against the oppression of women and focus on the triad of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. They are basically the feminist witches.
30. Chaos witch
A chaos witch is a woman who deals in chaos magic. This magic is reliant on beliefs and fully believing in a desire to make it true.
These witches are very different from traditional witches. To them, belief systems are psychic energy that can manifest anything that they want, good or bad. A good example of this magic would be Wanda Maximoff from the show "WandaVision."
31. Swamp witch
A swamp witch is really just a witch who lives either in or near a swamp and identifies with it. They can also be considered a “black-water Hattie” and mostly deal in medicinal herbs.
32. Hellenic witch
Hellenic witches are Hellenic or Greek Pagans also known as Hellenists or Hellenes.
They are often polytheists who pay worship to the ancient Greek Olympian gods. These witches offer certain elements to the gods in their rituals.
33. Augury witch
Augury witches are similar to shamana witches in their ability to interpret signs and symbols in order to advise spiritual seekers. However, augury witches will study the nature of all things and how everything is connected by a single thread.
The word "augury" actually comes from the official Roman "augurs," who were people that would look to the sky to interpret signs from the gods. They are not fortune tellers but rather prophetic messengers of the gods.
Tea Jones is a tarotist, psychic, and certified Level III Reiki Master Practitioner who writes about spirituality, witchcraft, tarot, and divination.